Thursday was the first time the candidates for mayor shared a stage together leading up to May’s election. Four of the five candidates were present, including current Mayor Linda Thompson. But Dan Miller, the current city controller, was absent. Miller is an accountant and had other work-related appointments he could not break.

Advertisement

The other four candidates took the state at Harrisburg Area Community College for the debate, hosted by the Harrisburg Hope organization.

The national spotlight is on this race because of Harrisburg’s crippling debt. All candidates agree the city’s creditors will have to make concessions but the candidates disagree on how to reach those deals and pull this city out of debt.

“I believe both of these entities are looking to this election to see whether or not they will have a partner who will competently manage the city moving forward,” said Eric Papenfuse, Democratic mayoral candidate.

“I don’t recall Eric being in a meeting with the creditors, Nevin Mindlin being in a meeting, or Lewis Butts, but I’ve been at the table because I am your mayor and I’ve been fighting for you,” said Thompson.

“I’m not interested in causing a problem, but I am interested in defending the people of Harrisburg properly,” said Nevin Mindlin, Independent mayoral candidate.

“We need an industrial revolution in Harrisburg that can change the mentality of our people,” said Lewis Butts Jr., Democratic mayoral candidate.

Butts offered up a unique answer to building revenue, suggesting a hydro-electric power plant be built on the Susquehanna River.

The 90-minute debate Thursday night was civil. There weren’t a lot of deeply differing ideas; the candidates used the event to explain why they are the right leader for this city.

Harrisburg’s Democratic primary race is one of two Susquehanna Valley mayoral races News 8 will be following in May.

In York, incumbent Democrat Kim Bracey is being challenged by City Council President Carol Hill-Evans.

Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray, a Democrat, and Lebanon Mayor Sherry Capello, a Republican, are running unopposed in the primary.